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Posted 6/9/2008 8:57 PM (GMT 0)

Hi!

I know this is posted a lot but I am looking for more advice.  And everyone on this forum is so sweet!  I posted a question last time about having active disease and being about 6 or 7 weeks pregnant.  I was actually in remission when it was conceived.  I started Humira at about the 8th week.  I ended up miscarrying at 10 weeks.  I was so devastated along with my baby's father (we are not in a relationship, just friends who desparately want a baby).   Now that I have been healthy since then, we are thinking of trying again.  Thank goodness!  I am just so scared of getting sick again.  Right now I am taking asacol and Humira along with, pre-natal vitamins which I had never stopped taking.  My GI said that if I am feeling really good that getting pregnant shouldn't be a problem.  My family is very fertile, but I hope I can keep a pregnancy and not loose it again.  Does anyone have a similar story?  I am so anxious to get pregnant.  Thanks a bunch!

 

Posted 6/9/2008 9:03 PM (GMT 0)
missyjack, I just wanted to send you ((((hugs))) and say I am sorry you lost the baby! I don't have advise but I hope you are successful and have the baby you want! Karen
Posted 6/9/2008 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
I wish you the best, but I believe that taking any steroid, esp. a very strong one like Humira will  prevent certain processes which would allow the fetus to grow and implant.  Category B only means that not many pregnant women have taken it, not necessarily that it's safe.  I would not take it at all during pregnancy. 
Posted 6/9/2008 9:36 PM (GMT 0)
If you are in "remission" you are much more likely to get pregnant and much faster. I am currently 26 weeks with my second daughter and on Remicade which keeps me in remission (and feeling WONDERFUL) since my resection last year. A lot of women on this forum have been on remicade, humira and prednisone while TTC or pregnant so I'm sure others will post in reply! I wish you all the luck in this process...remember not to stress/worry as that will make it harder on your body. I would also contact your OB/GYN and ask him/her what their thoughts are on anything extra you can do to make it "easier" to conceive! My GI and OB both agreed that little or no inflammation was key to my getting pregnant the first month of trying. GOODLUCK and don't worry...what's meant to be, will be!
Posted 6/10/2008 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you everyone for your kind support!  Wish me luck that this time it's successful.

Thanks cool

Posted 6/10/2008 8:45 PM (GMT 0)

Missyjack - I'm so sorry to hear about your loss.  I had 2 miscarriages before having my 2 girls (who are now 3 years old and 6 weeks old).  During my pregnancy with my first daughter, I was on 150 mg of Imuran the entire time and she is healthy and perfect.  With my second, I was on Humira the entire time and Imuran for part of it and she, too, is healthy and perfect. 

Miscarriages, unfortunately, are very common but the vast majority of women who have one (or more) go on to have successful pregnancies and healthy babies.  Good luck to you!

Posted 6/12/2008 10:45 AM (GMT 0)
Missyjack.... I am sorry to hear about your miscarriage.... my thoughts and prayers are with you.
I hope you are able to get pregnant again and that things work out for the best this time. I flared during my last trimester with my second daughter.... didn't take anything for it, but lost a lot of weight when I should have been gaining... my baby girl was born healthy and beautiful at a whopping 8 lbs.
Love and prayers dear one.
Mary
Posted 6/12/2008 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Missy jack,

I also miscarried my first. Found out at 12 weeks but the baby passed at 7 weeks. This was before I knew I had crohns. And I actually found out that the baby had trisomy 9 about 3 years later so it had nothing to do with crohns or anything else. Sadly it is way too common for a woman to miscarry. I am so sorry that you had this happen. Even though it has been 6 years since I miscarried I can still remember that horrible sadness and other emotions.

On a good note I did go on to have 4 very beautiful children. I have only taken asacol while pregnant but have taken predinsone, 6mp, asacol, canasa, vicoden, antibiotics and lord knows what else while nursing and all four kiddos are very well. I flared with my 2nd child during the first and second trimester but it was pretty minor.

Just hang in there and keep a positive attitude. I truly do not think that this disease in any way stops us from having children and my GI doctor doesn't think so either!

Best of luck to you,
Sally
Posted 6/12/2008 11:21 PM (GMT 0)
Missyjack, my heart goes out to you for your loss. Being a father of 3 boys I can only begin to imagine the emotions related to such a traumatic event that, as many have already posted, happens way too often. As SallyC stated just above it's been years and she can still remember the emotions.

Two suggestions:
- Address the trauma. My best suggestion is to invest some time into EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). You can find more info at www.emofree.com, www.tapping.com and www.tryitoneverything.com. As Jini, a fellow Crohnie and author of several books has stated, a holistic approach to dealing with this disease needs to be all encompassing and address all areas to include emotional healing. EFT and Cranial-Sacral Massage are a couple of her suggestions. This will not only help you address the past trauma but also address the anxiety you're feeling related to hoping that it goes better this time. We all know stress is a trigger so if you can eliminate the stress (anxiety) you'll be much less likely to flare.

- Get a copy of the IBD Remission Diet written by Jini, the author I referenced above. You can find out more about it under the Crohn's books in the resource directory of this forum. As a fellow crohnie and mother of at least two her book will help you from a nutritional aspect to ensure that you have the best possible chance of avoiding a flare, the best tool nutritionally for handling one if it does happen and the best nutrition possible for your unborn/breastfeeding child. Can't recommend it enough, even if I am a father rather than a mother. Please check it out for yourself and keep us posted.

My prayers and positive energy/thoughts to you. ~ Robert
Posted 6/13/2008 1:31 AM (GMT 0)

Missyjack ~ Very sorry to hear of your miscarriage.  My husband and I have been blessed with 5 children, but we've had 4 miscarriages, two of them at 5 months gestation.  My crohns was always very active while I was pregnant and nursing, but I didn't take any meds except for an occasional imodium.  I do know that the crohns had nothing to do with my miscarriages ~ I had cysts in my uterus.  I always found it very healing to get pregnant again, not to replace the lost child, because nothing can, but to "get on with living".  I'll be praying!  Take care

juliemamaof5

I may have Crohns disease, but it does not define who I am! tongue

Posted 6/13/2008 4:23 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Missyjack!

I am so sorry to hear about your recent loss, but I am glad you have reached out for support. Good for you!

In 2007 I became pregnant. I was in as close to remission as I've ever been at the time I got pregnant (I don't think I've ever been totally in remission). We had quite a time getting pregnant (just under a year of intense trying!)-- turns out I wasn't ovulating, so we tried some Clomid (an ovulation stimulating fertility drug), and it worked on the first try!

During my pregnancy I was taking Asacol and Imuran (100 mg). Unfortunately, at about 17 weeks I started a flare with moderate bleeding, so I was then also on Predisone (a small 10 mg dose) until tapering down at the end of the pregnancy (went off at 35 weeks). I am happy to report that other than the flare, I had no other pregnancy problems at all-- it was a picture perfect pregnancy. I was working out up to 38 weeks, and working up to the day before my c-section!

Despite my fears about the Imuran, my daughter was born in perfect health and totally beautiful. :) 6 lbs, 11 oz.

Unfortunately, my pregnancy flare never relented, and my Crohn's has spread and worsened in areas. I am slated to start Remicade soon. I hope to get better control of my disease so my husband and I can start trying for our second child this fall.

Best of luck to you on this! Having a child is just an intensely wonderful thing.

Cheers,
Allison

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